Q: How confident are you about the penetration of the new style?
I feel a sense of achievement, and I think the time we have the ball has increased compared to last season, so I believe our condition after gaining possession of the ball is improving steadily.
Q: I think it's not easy for the entire team to adapt as the style changes, but I feel there is a sense of speed with visible changes in the opening match. How do you feel as a player?
A, I think there are wins and losses in a match, but I believe we are clearly growing. Even when we face a few losses, I think there will be voices questioning, 'What’s going on?' but that is natural, and I feel that it’s meaningless unless we continue to push forward. I think we can only persevere and keep going.
Q: Last season you played as a double pivot, and this season you are being used as an anchor. How do you feel about the change in your role amidst the differences in style?
While the formation and the coach have changed, I think that just changing the coach can significantly alter the roles. Therefore, I don't believe we can say that the change in formation is the sole reason. I feel like we experienced the same thing last season, and even though both the coach and the formation have changed, and the members on the field haven't changed much, it seems that once the actual match starts, everyone is able to perform intuitively.
Q: I believe Aoki's position is one that involves both taking action based on what we want to do while also reacting to the opponent's moves. How do you feel about the part of controlling the team while assessing the situation?
There are parts where we have been able to implement what we prepared relatively well in practice, and there are also parts that feel a bit different from what we practiced. However, I think we have been able to make adjustments during the game, and as of now, I feel we have grown quite a bit in terms of moving the ball up from the back. I also hope we can focus more on scoring goals moving forward.
Q: I think Matsuki and Abe moved around quite a bit, but what kind of communication did you have with them for coordination?
Well, it feels like I have to adapt once the match starts. Ultimately, it's enough to be in that position, so no matter how much I move, as long as someone is in that position, it's fine. The player in that position is very active and plays aggressively both in attack and defense, so I feel like I'm focusing on maintaining that balance.
Q, I think that balance is difficult.
A, I don't really know if I'm doing it well or not, but I'm conscious of making the game go smoothly.
Q: As we head into the second half of the season, I believe the challenge is how much we can create finishing opportunities in the attacking zone while increasing our possession time. In terms of Aoki's position, what aspects are related to this challenge?
I think there are few situations where we get into the goal area and get involved in the final pass or shot, but increasing those opportunities is something that the players in the back, including myself, need to work on. I hope we can increase the number of times we get forward and connect with the front more often.
Q: Is it a play where you connect to the front line and push up to recover the second ball?
Yes, that's right. I think if we can attack multiple times when we push forward, it will be unpleasant for the opponent. It's really detailed, but I hope that not just me, but also the center backs and full backs can manage risks and maintain situations where we can win the ball back quickly. This applies to the transition between offense and defense, as well as the quick transitions of the forwards. Instead of getting overwhelmed by carrying the ball from the back, it would be great if the whole team could think that far ahead.
Q: Do you want to reach that phase in the second half of the season?
A, of course I want to go quickly. After all, we play this football to win in the end. If we don't turn that into victories, it feels like there's no point in doing it.
